72 PROCEEDINGS OF THE EEGENTS. 



JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS 



BOARD OF REGENTS 



THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTIOK 



MONDAY, March 16, 1857. 



A meeting of the Board of Regents was held this day at 11 o'clock 

 a. m. 



Present : Hon. R. B. Tanej, Chancellor, Hon. John C. Breckin- 

 ridge, James M. Mason, S. A. Douglas, Gen. Jos. G. Totten, Prof. 

 A. D. Bache, Wm. B. Magruder, and the Secretary. 



The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. 



The Chancellor, Chief Justice Taney, then presented the following 

 communication : 



Washington, 3Iarcli 16, 1857. 



Gentlemen : When the Board of Regents was originally organized 

 it was deemed proper that the Vice President of the United States for 

 the time being should be elected as the Chancellor. The Institution 

 exists under the authority of Congress, and they have made certain 

 officers of the government ex officio Regents. The Vice President is 

 the highest in rank of the officers thus designated ; and it would seem 

 to be peculiarly proper that the one who presides over the delibera- 

 tions of one branch of the national legislature should also preside over 

 the deliberations of a scientific institution which the nation has brought 

 into existence and fosters. 



Unfortunate events have for some time past left the government 

 without a Vice President elected by the people. And when that office 

 was vacant the Regents conferred on me the office which had always 

 before been filled by the Vice President. And when I accepted it I 

 regarded the appointment as a temporary one. The reason for the 

 appointment has now happily ceased, and I desire to give the Regents 



